Former South Korean Leader Yoon Faces New Indictment
On Monday, prosecutors said that former South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol had been formally charged with helping an enemy state and abusing his office. The case is based on his contentious decision to institute martial law last year, which investigators now say was part of a planned effort to anger North Korea.
The indictment makes the legal problems for the impeached leader, who was ousted from office in April 2025, much worse. If found guilty, Yoon might get the death penalty. This would be one of the worst political scandals in South Korean history.
Prosecutors Claim Yoon Ordered Drone Flights Over North Korea
Park Ji-young, the special prosecutor, says that Yoon and a few of his advisers came up with a plan to fly military drones into North Korean airspace in late 2024. The purported purpose was to get Pyongyang to react angrily, which would make it okay to declare a national state of emergency.
Park said during a news conference in Seoul, “Yoon and others worked together to make things happen that would allow the declaration of emergency martial law, which would make it more likely that the two Koreas would fight.” The prosecutor also said that the plot put public safety at risk and broke military rules meant to keep things from getting worse on the peninsula.
Memo Suggests Plan to ‘Force a Response’ From Pyongyang
A secret document from Yoon’s former counterintelligence commander in October 2024 was used as important evidence by investigators. The memo supposedly suggested going against places like Pyongyang and Wonsan to make North Korea “lose face” and force them to strike back.
Park told reporters that the letter showed “a deliberate effort to create instability,” which meant that the operation was not defensive but politically driven. Prosecutors claimed Yoon utilized these incidents to make his case for emergency military control stronger, saying it was a constitutional protection instead of a power grab.
Recommended Article: Zohran Mamdani Urged to Confront FIFA’s World Cup Power
Yoon Denies Wrongdoing and Defends Martial Law Declaration
Yoon has refuted all of the accusations again and again, saying that his measures were meant to “protect democracy from antistate forces” in the opposition. His lawyers say that the proclamation of martial law was only meant to be a short-term fix for corruption and instability, not a way to take over the government.
In a previous statement, Yoon claimed, “I never meant to impose military rule.” “My goal was to protect the constitution and the country’s democratic institutions.” Supporters say the inquiry is politically driven, but others say it is an appropriate punishment for abusing power.
Constitutional Court Removed Yoon From Office in April
The Constitutional Court said that Yoon’s proclamation of martial law went against democratic ideals and went too far for a president. This was the beginning of his collapse. He was the first South Korean leader to be impeached in more than ten years.
After he was removed from office, a special counsel team began a larger investigation into claims that his government misused emergency powers and manipulated military intelligence. Several former officials from Yoon’s government are also facing charges in the same case.
Tensions Between Seoul and Pyongyang Add Complexity
The issue happens at a time when tensions between North and South Korea are rising again. The two countries are still officially at war since the Korean War concluded in 1953 without a peace treaty. The case has brought back up the public discussion over the militarization of national security and the possible exploitation of anti-North rhetoric for political benefit.
Analysts believe the indictment might make South Korean politics even more divided, especially because the gap between conservative and progressive groups has grown over security policy and ties with Pyongyang.
Possible Death Sentence Looms as Trial Progresses
Yoon is already on trial for treason and rebellion, and the new allegations of helping the enemy might make his sentence longer. Legal analysts say that South Korea’s criminal code enables the death penalty for activities that are seen as having willfully helped an enemy state.
The court is likely to start hearing cases again later this month, and prosecutors want the worst punishment possible. Yoon is still in jail for now. He used to be a supporter of law, order, and national unity, but now he is facing a precipitous fall from power.
